Refrigerator



April.21, 1942. A. E; NAVE REFRIGERATOR Filed July, 10, 1940 064% MAT QRNEY Patented Apr. 21,1942 8 a asraresasroa' Alfred E. Nave, Newburgh, Ind., assignoito Servel, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of a Delaware Application luly 10, 1940, Serial'No. 344,708

4 Claims. This invention relates to refrigerators, and

more particularly torefrigerator cabinet wall structure having spaced metal-panels connected by insulating strips. i

It is an object'of the invention to provide an insulating strip, commonly referred to as a trim or breaker strip, of a type which mechanically connects the metal wall panels but in such a manner that the fastening elements are concealed.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention are set forth in the following description in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

- l2 and a door l3. The trim or breaker strip is shown applied to the refrigerator door l3v although as far as certain aspects of the invention are concerned it may also be applied around the doorway of the cabinet ll between the adjacent edges of the inner and outer metal walls thereof.

The door l3 comprises an inner metal panel or liner l5 and an outer metal panel l6 separated by suitable insulation H. The inner liner has its edge portion rev'ersely bent to form an outwardly inclined shoulder l8 and a rim flange 2n projecting into the space between the two panels. Rim flange extends substantially at right angles to the strip supp ng shoulder l8 and serves as a means for attaching a portion of the trim strip as will be more fully described.

The edge portion of the outer panel l6 pro- Jects beyond the corresponding edge portion of the inner liner I'ifand is reversely bent to form a border ledge or lip 22 around the periphery of the door having an inward flange 23 serving as a shoulder for a sealing gasket and a trim strip as will be described. Flange 23 extends substantially parallel tothe general planeof the door so that when the door is closed said flange will be substantially parallel to the plane of the front face of the refrigerator cabinet I l'.

Attached to the door I3 is a gasket 25 servin to form an air tight seal between the inside and outside of the refrigerator cabinet when the door is closed. Gasket 28 is made of flexible resilient material such as extruded rubber and comprises (ciao-'45) a flat base section 28 constituting an extension of the base 21 of said tubular section 26 and terminating at its inner edge in an inward hook 32.

The gasket 25 is supported in positionshown in 5 Fig. 2 with its base sections 21 and 28 abutting the shoulder flange 23, and its inwardly turned edge 30 hooked over the edge of said rim flange into snug frictional engagement therewith.

Also integrally extending from; the tubular gasket section 26 is a strip 3|, spaced from and substantiallyparallel to the base 23, and serving to cover, a: section of the trim strip in a manner to be described. Gasket strip 3| is desirably thinner thanthe base section 28 of the gasket, to permit. it'to be easily folded back during the application of certain fastening means to be described.

. Mounted between the spaced edges of the door panels I5 and I3 are rigid breaker or trim strips. 20 32 made of suitable heat insulating plastic material such as hard rubber, synthetic resin or the like, each having a uniform cross-section throughout its length so that it can be made by the process of extruding the plastic material through a die- Four of these extruded strips 32 are framed around the door and are interconnected by suitable corner trim pieces 33 to complete the door framing.

Each trim strip 32 is provided on its inner face with an integral rib 34 projecting substantially at right angles to the main web section 35 of said strip, and spaced from one side of said strip to define a side section 36 beyond said rib. Rib 34 serves as a means for fastening the trim 35 strip 32 in position as will be described, and also serves as a' means for imparting substantial rigidity to'said strip so that warpage thereof is effectively resisted. The side section 36 of the strip 32 abuts the shoulder l8 of the inner liner 40 I5, while the rib 34 abuts the rim flange 20 of said liner and is secured thereto by suitable fastening means such as screws 31.

The other side section 38. of the trim strip is at an angle corresponding to the angle between the shoulders l8 and 23 of the panels l5 and I6 and overlies the gasket extension 28. Suitable fastening means shown in the form of screws 40 pass through the strip side section-38, gasket section 28,'and rim flange 23 so that the gasket 60 25 is firmly clamped in position shown and the trim strip 32 is firmly anchored at its outer side.

The gasket strip 3| covers the oflset side section 38 of the trim strip asshownin Fig. 2 to conceal screws 40; Y

a substantially D-shaped tubular section 28 and so When the door is closed, the thicker portion thereof extends through the doorway l2 of the cabinet ll, while the door ledge 22 extends on the outside of said cabinet with the gasket section 26 deformed into sealing engagement with the front face of said cabinet around said doorway.

To assemble the door described, the trim strip 32 is first secured to the inner panel l5 by the screws 31 as shown. Then the outer panel [6 with the gasket 25 frictionally retained thereon by the hooked engagement of its intumed edge 30 with the corresponding edge of the rim flange 23 is moved into assembling position with respect to the inner panel [5, and the screws 40 applied through the side 38 of the breaker strip and the gasket extension 28. Since the gasket strip 3! is of flexible material, this can be folded back to afford access for turning the screws 40.

Various changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.

What is claimed is:

l. Refrigerator cabinet wall structure having spaced inner and outer panels, a wall member fastened to said panels to hold said panels in said spaced relation, said wall member comprising a substantially fiat rigid strip having a rib on one face, means fastening said rib to one of said panels, means fastening one edge of said strip to the other-of said panels, and a cover strip having a part held by said last means, and a flexible part covering the edge of said strip and said last fastening means.

2. Refrigerator cabinet wall structure having spaced inner and outer panels, a wall member fastened to said panels to hold said panels in said spaced relation, said wall member comprisnga substantially flat rigid strip having a rib on one face thereof spaced from an edge thereof, said strip overlying the edges of said spaced inner and outer panels, means fastening said rib to one of said panels, means fastening the other edge of said strip to th other of said panels, and a cover strip having a part held by said last means, and a flexible part covering the edge of said strip and said last fastening means.

3. Refrigerator cabinet wall structure having spaced inner and outer panels, a wall member fastened to said panels to hold said panels in said spaced relation, said wall member comprising a substantially flat rigid strip having a rib on one face, said strip being uniform in cross section so that it may be formed by one extrusion molding and being a thermally insulating nonhygroscopic plastic material, means fastening said rib to one of said panels, means fastening an edge of said strip to the other of said panels, and a cover strip having a part held by said last means, and a flexible part covering the edge of said strip and said last fastening means.

4. Refrigerator cabinet wall structure having spaced inner and outer panels, a wall member fastened to said panels to hold said panels in said spaced relation, said wall member comprising a substantially flat rigid strip having a rib a refrigerator door seal gasket and including a 'U-shaped section of extruded rubber having a part held by said last means, and a part covering the edge of said strip and said last fastening means.

ALFRED E. NAVE. 

